Alert-triggered recording of spectrum data

Abstract

Techniques are described for alert-triggered recording spectrum data. In one embodiment, a method comprises determining whether network performance for one or more communications channels of a wireless network is below a threshold. In response to determining that the network performance for the one or more communications channels of the wireless network is below the threshold, recording of spectrum data for energy on the one or more communications channels of the wireless network is initiated. In an embodiment, determining whether network performance is below a threshold comprises determining whether the quality of at least one communications channel is below a threshold. In another embodiment, determining whether network performance is below a threshold comprises determining whether one or more network parameters monitored on one or more network elements indicate that network performance is below a threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 processing spectrum data relating to energy on one or more communications channels of a wireless network; 
 determining whether network performance for the one or more communications channels is below a performance threshold based on the spectrum data; 
 triggering a recording of subsequent spectrum data if the network performance for the one or more communications channels is below the performance threshold; and 
 triggering a stopping of the recording the subsequent spectrum data when a stop transmission message is received. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining whether the network performance is below the performance threshold based on the spectrum data and whether a number of packet retries has exceeded a threshold number. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining whether the network performance is below the performance threshold based on the spectrum data and whether a transmission rate over the one or more communications channels is below a threshold rate. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining that one or more channel characteristics for at least one communications channel of the one or more communications channels indicate that a quality of the at least one communications channel is below a threshold quality. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the determining that the one or more channel characteristics indicate that the quality is below the threshold quality comprises:
 detecting that a specific type of interferer utilizing the at least one communications channel is above a specified signal strength; and 
 detecting that the specific type of interferer utilizes the at least one communications channel for longer than a specified minimum duration. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the specific type of interferer comprises an interferer that does not transmit preamble packets based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. 
     
     
       7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that stores instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 processing spectrum data relating to energy on one or more communications channels of a wireless network; 
 determining whether network performance for the one or more communications channels is below a performance threshold based on the spectrum data; 
 triggering a recording of subsequent spectrum data in response to determining that the network performance for the one or more communications channels is below the performance threshold; and 
 triggering a stopping of the recording of the subsequent spectrum data when a stop transmission message is received. 
 
     
     
       8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining whether the network performance is below the performance threshold based on the spectrum data and whether a number of packet retries has exceeded a threshold number. 
 
     
     
       9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining whether the network performance is below the performance threshold based on the spectrum data and whether a transmission rate over the one or more communications channels is below a threshold rate. 
 
     
     
       10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining that one or more channel characteristics for at least one communications channel of the one or more communications channels indicate that a quality of the at least one communications channel is below a threshold quality. 
 
     
     
       11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the determining that the one or more channel characteristics indicate that the quality is below the threshold quality comprises:
 detecting that a specific type of interferer utilizing the at least one communications channel of a wireless network is above a specified signal strength; and 
 detecting that the specific type of interferer utilizes the at least one communications channel for longer than a specified minimum duration. 
 
     
     
       12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the specific type of interferer comprises an interferer that does not transmit preamble packets based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. 
     
     
       13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 11 , wherein the specific type of interferer is at least one of: a microwave device, a Bluetooth device, a Zigbee device, a cordless phone, a wireless emitting device, a motion detector, a jamming device, a radar, a baby monitor, a wireless game controller, a wireless audio system, a proprietary wireless bridge, a WiMax device, a broadband wireless transmitter, a wireless computer accessory, a wireless video camera, a wireless video transmitter, or an unknown interferer. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 a non-transitory storage that stores instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:
 process spectrum data relating to energy on one or more communications channels of a wireless network; 
 determine whether network performance for the one or more communications channels is below a performance threshold based on the spectrum data; 
 in response to determining that the network performance for the one or more communications channels is below the performance threshold, trigger a recording of subsequent spectrum data; and 
 trigger a stopping of the recording of the subsequent spectrum data when a stop transmission message is received. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:
 determine whether the network performance is below the performance threshold based on the spectrum data and whether a number of packet retries has exceeded a threshold number. 
 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:
 determine whether the network performance is below the performance threshold based on the spectrum data and whether a transmission rate over the one or more communications channels is below a threshold rate. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:
 determine that one or more channel characteristics for at least one communications channel of the one or more communications channels indicate that a quality of the at least one communications channel is below a threshold quality. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:
 detect that a specific type of interferer utilizing the at least one communications channel above a specified signal strength; and 
 detect that the specific type of interferer utilizes the at least one communications channel for longer than a specified minimum duration. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the specific type of interferer comprises an interferer that does not transmit preamble packets based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the specific type of interferer is at least one of: a microwave device, a Bluetooth device, a Zig bee device, a cordless phone, a wireless emitting device, a motion detector, a jamming device, a radar, a baby monitor, a wireless game controller, a wireless audio system, a proprietary wireless bridge, a WiMax device, a broadband wireless transmitter, a wireless computer accessory, a wireless video camera, a wireless video transmitter, or an unknown interferer.